1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fuel cells and membrane electrode assemblies having a new catalyst at an electrode. More specifically, the present invention relates to fuel cells and membrane electrode assemblies comprising a platinum and phosphorus catalyst at either a fuel electrode/anode or cathode.
2. Description of Related Art
For the most part, electric energy has been supplied by thermal power generation, water power generation, and nuclear electric power generation. However, thermal power generation burns fossil fuels such as oil and coal and it causes not only extensive environmental pollution but also a depletion of energy resources such as oil. The use of water power generation requires large-scale dam construction so that the number of sites for proper construction are limited. Also, the building of the dam and the change in water coverage of the land can cause destruction of nature. Further, the nuclear electric power generation has problems including the fact that radioactive contamination is possible in the event of an accident which can be fatal and decommissioning of nuclear reactor facility is difficult. These problems have resulted in the decrease of nuclear reactor construction on a global basis.
As a power generation system which does not require a large-scale facility nor causes environmental pollution, wind power generation and solar photovoltaic power generation have come into use around the world. Wind power generation and solar photovoltaic power generation have come into practical use in some places. However, wind power generation cannot generate power with no wind and the solar photovoltaic power generation cannot generate power with no sunlight. The two systems are dependent on natural phenomena, and thus, are incapable of providing a stable power supply. Further, the wind power generation has a problem that the frequency of generated power varies with the intensity of wind, causing breakdown of the electrical equipment.
Recently, a power plant that draws electrical energy from hydrogen energy, such as hydrogen fuel cells, has been under active development. The hydrogen is obtained by splitting water and exists inexhaustibly on the earth. In addition, the hydrogen has a large chemical energy amount per unit mass, and it does not generate hazardous substances and global warming gases when used as an energy source.
A fuel cell which uses methanol instead of hydrogen has also been studied actively. A methanol fuel cell directly uses methanol, which is a liquid fuel, is easy to use and is low in cost. Thus, the methanol fuel cell is expected to be used as a relatively small output power source for household or industrial use. A theoretical output voltage of a methanol/oxygen fuel cell is 1.2 V (25° C.), which is almost the same as that of the hydrogen fuel cell. Thus, they could have the same end uses in principle.
A solid-polyelectrolyte fuel cell and a direct methanol fuel cell oxidize hydrogen or methanol at the anode and reduce oxygen at the cathode, thereby drawing electric energy. Since the oxidation-reduction reaction has a high thermodynamic barrier making it difficult to achieve at room temperature, a catalyst is used in the fuel cells. Initial fuel cells use platinum (Pt) as a catalyst, depositing it on a carbon support. The Pt has catalytic activity for oxidation of hydrogen and methanol. A conventional approach for minimizing Pt catalyst particles to increase a reactive surface area is to control the deposition atmosphere of the Pt catalyst by adjusting external factors in the deposition process. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 56-155645 introduces a technique that, when reducing Pt ion by adding alcohol and depositing it on a carbon support, adds polyvinyl alcohol into a reaction solvent. The polyvinyl alcohol serves as an organic protective agent, which absorbs weakly onto the surface of the Pt catalyst particles, thereby forming fine Pt catalyst particulates. However, since the organic protective agent absorbs onto the surface of the Pt catalyst in this technique, it is necessary to remove the organic protective agent from the surface of the Pt catalyst to show its catalytic activity. The heat treatment at 400° C. in the atmosphere of hydrogen gas, which follows the generation of the Pt particulates, is proposed to remove the organic protective agent. However, this treatment cannot completely remove the organic protective agent from the Pt catalyst surface. This inhibits the Pt catalyst activity. Further, the heat treatment at 400° C. can cause sintering of the Pt particulates, which results in an increase in the catalyst particle size and a decrease in the catalytic activity.
Furthermore, it is possible for chemisorption to occur of carbon monoxide (CO) generated during the methanol oxidation process or contained in the hydrogen gas onto the Pt catalyst at the anode, which results in deactivation of catalytic activity. This is referred to as catalyst poisoning by CO. In order to suppress the Pt catalyst poisoning by CO, an additive element into the Pt has been searched, and it was found that adding Ru to Pt significantly reduces the catalyst poisoning by CO (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 57-5266, for example) at the anode.
Though the Ru itself does not oxidize hydrogen and methanol, it serves as a promoter that quickly oxidizes CO deposited on Pt into CO2 and releases it. In the case of a direct methanol fuel cell, for example, a deprotonation reaction occurs on the Pt catalyst particles and CO chemically adsorbs onto the Pt catalyst particles, as indicated by the following reaction formula (1). This is the catalyst poisoning by CO. However, with the use of a Pt—Ru catalyst containing Ru, the Ru reacts with water to generate Ru—OH as indicated by the following reaction formula (2). Then, the CO, which chemically absorbs onto the Pt catalyst particle surface, is oxidized into CO2 and removed, as indicated by the following reaction formula (3):Pt+CH3OH→Pt—CO+4H++4e−  (1)Ru+H2O→Ru—OH+H++e−  (2)Pt—CO+Ru—OH→Pt+Ru+H++e−+CO2↑  (3)
If the Pt—Ru catalyst is synthesized by impregnation, electroless plating, or alcohol reduction, the particle size falls in the range of 5 to 10 nm. If the Pt—Ru particle size remains large, the effective catalyst surface area does not increase and the catalytic activity stays unimproved. In order to enhance the catalytic activity of the Pt—Ru, it is effective to reduce the Pt—Ru particle size to below 5 nm and increase the effective catalyst surface area. In this case, the technique of adding the organic protective agent to reduce the Pt—Ru catalyst particle size is not available for the above reasons. A new effective technique to produce a Pt—Ru catalyst for the anode of less than 5 nm has thus been strongly required, but it remains unachieved.
Similarly, a Pt catalyst is used at the cathode of fuel cell. At the cathode, the oxygen is reduced by electrons which are generated at anode and reacts with protons which come from anode, which generates water by the following reaction formula (4).O2+4e−+4H+→2H2O   (4)
In order to enhance the catalytic activity of the Pt, it is also effective to reduce the Pt particle size to below 5 nm and increase the effective catalyst surface area. In this case, the technique of adding the organic protective agent to reduce the Pt catalyst particle size is not available for the above reasons. Anew effective technique to produce a Pt catalyst for the cathode less than 5 nm has thus been strongly required, but it remains unachieved.